A 19-year-old woman from Jharkhand’s Dumka district died of her injuries in the early hours of Sunday after being set on fire by a man harassing her on Tuesday. Her death sparked protests in Dumka by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and the Bajrang Dal, which resulted in prohibitory orders.
According to police, Shahrukh Hussain, 19, had been harassing the woman for “some time.” “She was sleeping by a window that overlooked a sidewalk that connected to the main road.” The accused poured petrol on her through the window and set her on fire in the early hours of August 23. She screamed for assistance. She noticed the accused fleeing… “We have her death certificate,” said Dumka SP Ambar Lakra.
The same day, Shahrukh was arrested, along with Chotu Khan, who supplied the petrol. According to police sources, both will be charged with murder.
Section 144 of the IPC has been invoked in the town area, according to Dumka Sub-Divisional Officer Mahaeshwar Mahato. “Without any prior permission, all public gatherings, including protests and religious processions, are restricted,” Mahato said in a statement.
The woman was admitted to Dumka’s Phoolo Jhano Medical College Hospital before being transferred to Ranchi’s Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences, where she died.
“(The) patient had suffered 45 percent burn injuries, and the cause of her death is a cardio-respiratory failure,” said RIMS spokesperson Dr Rajiv Ranjan.
“We have recommended a speedy trial and have given a compensation of Rs 1 lakh to the victim’s family,” said Dumka Deputy Commissioner RS Shukla. We’re working hard to get the family more money… The accused had previously harassed the woman. Because the family never complained, the authorities were unaware.”
According to the woman’s father, “Around 4 a.m., we heard her screaming. We rushed to her room and extinguished the flames. She claimed Shahrukh was the one who did it. She died between Saturday and Sunday.”
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